Anthony Bourdain’s unexpected suicide cut short his popular CNN TV series Parts Unknown. Other networks rushed in to offer something to fill the void. Now, CNN has joined the fray with a series of new food/travel specials featuring Bourdain…
Bourdain’s high-profile surprise ‘guest diners’ on Parts Unknown included former
Former President Barack Obama – whom he ran into in Hanoi, Vietnam, when
shooting the Season 8 Premiere episode of Parts Unknown. They shared
noodles and a beer. And an enlightened culinary philosophy…
The first was Stanley Tucci’s series on Italian food. Other culturally-themed offerings have followed, the most recent of which has been Tony Shaloub’s ‘Breaking Bread’.
But there remain many out there who insist none of the more recent presenters can match Tony Bourdain’s insight, sensitivity and ‘feel’ for food.
For them, CNN is bringing back special episodes of Parts Unknown – backgrounders, if you will, to his original series.
New insights…
The Hollywood Reporter tells us… “The CNN streaming service, available for All Access subscribers, will include Prime Cuts, specials that see Bourdain discussing and reminiscing about his travels on Parts Unknown.”
“The program is called Prime Cuts, and it served as a companion series to the flagship show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Prime Cuts combined clips from the series with revealing interviews with Bourdain, who reminisced about the trips, people, food and cultures that he encountered, and gave a behind-the-scenes look at the show.
“These reflective, candid conversations reveal behind the scenes insights and Tony at his best — deeply honest about his travels, his work, and what the journey meant to him,” CNN says.
Prime Cuts episodes originally aired one at a time, ahead of each season premiere of Parts Unknown, as previews to whet viewers’ thirst for the new episodes.
My take
I’m not a CNN streaming service subscriber. But I’m considering signing up for All Access just to get access to Prime Cuts…
~ Maggie J.